TEHRAN – Musicians and friends gathered at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on Tuesday to attend a ceremony held to honor Iranian maestro Vartan Sahakian for his lifetime achievements in music.

Co-organized by Radenoandish, a Tehran-based cultural institute, and Rudaki Foundation, the ceremony began with several performances by different music bands, some of which performed compositions by Sahakian.

Addressing the audience, the 61-year old Sahakian expressed his happiness over the celebration and said, “I am happy to be here tonight… All the participants here are masters of music themselves. How good to see those who were once students and now have been my colleagues in the field of music.”

“I do feel honored that I have been able to train two generations of good musicians throughout my life,” he asserted.

“In the early years of my career as an instructor, I was not much interested in teaching but with all the love I received from my students and the great musicians of my country, I am now proud to be a teacher and have been able to train many good students,” he concluded.

Composer and conductor Loris Tjeknavorian, santur virtuoso Milad Kiai, singer Pari Maleki, and vocalist Salar Aqili were among the participating guests.

Photo: Maestro Vartan Sahakian speaks after accepting an award for his lifetime achievements at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall on July 31, 2018. (Mehr/Masud Saki)

RM/MMS